Daf 185a (דַּף קפ״ה ע״א)

Afterwards that officer enters (לְבָתַר עָאל הַהוּא סַנְטִירָא). The king said (אָמַר מַלְכָּא): Now, if he should know of this, of the supernal banquet that I have prepared for me and for my son (הַשְׁתָּא אִי יִנְדַּע דָּא, מִסְּעוּדָתָא עִלָּאָה דְּאַתְקִינִית לִי וְלִבְרִי), the table will be disturbed (יִתְעַרְבֵּב פָּתוֹרָא).

What did he do? (מָה עֲבַד). He called the officer over the banquet (קָרָא לַמְּמָנָא עַל סְעוּדָתָא), and said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Prepare something, and set it before me, and set it before that officer (אַתְקִין מִדִּי, וּתְשָׁוֵי קַמָּאי, וּתְשָׁוֵי קַמֵּיהּ דְּהַהוּא סַנְטִירָא), so that he will think he has eaten of my banquet (בְּגִין דְּיַחְשִׁיב דְּסָעִיד קַמָּאי מִדִּילִי), and will not know of that precious banquet of joy that is mine and my son’s (וְלָא יִנְדַּע בְּהַהִיא סְעוּדָתָא יַקִּירָא דְּחֶדְוָה דִּילִי וְדִבְרִי). And that officer will take his portion and go his way (וְיִטּוֹל הַהוּא חוּלָקָא וְיֵזִיל לֵיהּ), and will separate from the joy of our banquet (וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִחֶדְוָה דִּסְעוּדָתָא דִּילָן). For if the king had not done thus (וְאִי לָאו דְּמַלְכָּא עָבִיד הָכִי), that officer would not have separated from the palace of the king (לָא יִתְפְּרַשׁ הַהוּא סַנְטִירָא מִבֵּי מַלְכָּא).

So too Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Yisrael (כַּךָ אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל): Prepare two goats (אַזְמִינוּ תְּרֵין שְׂעִירִין), one for Me and one for that accuser (חַד לִי וְחַד לְהַהוּא דַּלְטוֹרָא), so that he will think he eats of my banquet (בְּגִין דְּיַחְשִׁיב דְּמִסְּעוּדָתָא דִּילִי קָאֲכִיל), and will not know of that other banquet of joy that is ours (וְלָא יִנְדַּע בִּסְעוּדָתָא דְּחֶדְוָה אַחֲרָא דִּילָן). And he will take that portion and go his way (וְיִסַּב הַהוּא חוּלָקָא, וְיֵזִיל לְאָרְחֵיהּ), and be separated from My house (וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִבֵּיתִי).

For when Imma ‘Ila’ah, the World to Come, comes to dwell within the palace of the lower world (כֵּיוָן דְּאִמָּא עִלָּאָה, עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, אָתֵי לְמִשְׁרֵי גּוֹ הֵיכְלָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה), to look upon the Nehiru of the countenance (לְאַשְׁכְּחָא נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין), Some say: to look upon her in the brightness (נ״א: לְאַשְׁגָּחָא עָלָהּ בְּנְהִירוּ), then it is proper that this accuser not be present, nor the masters of judgment before Him (דִּין הוּא דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח הַהוּא דַּלְטוֹרָא, וְלָא מָארֵי דְּדִינִין לְקַמֵּיהּ), when He sends forth all blessings and illuminates all (כַּד אַפִּיק כָּל בִּרְכָּאן, וְאַנְהִיר לְכֹלָּא). And all that freedom is found, and Yisrael take from those blessings (וְכָל הַהוּא חִירוּ יִשְׁתְּכַּח, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נַטְלֵי מֵאִינּוּן בִּרְכָּאן).

For when the World to Come enters the palace of the lower world (דְּהָא כַּד עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, עָאל לְהֵיכָלָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה), and finds that the lower world rejoices with its children in that supernal banquet (וְאַשְׁכַּח דְּחַדֵּי עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה עִם בְּנוֹי בְּהַהִיא סְעוּדָתָא עִלָּאָה), then it blesses the table (כְּדֵין אִיהוּ בָּרִיךְ פַּתוֹרָא), and all the worlds are blessed (וְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְבָּרְכִין), and all joy and all brightness of countenance are found there (וְכָל חִידוּ וְכָל נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ תַּמָּן). This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Leviticus 16): “Before Hashem you shall be purified” (לִפְנֵי יְיָ׳ תִּטְהָרוּ). It is written (כְּתִיב) (Leviticus 16): “And Aharon shall place lots upon the two goats: one lot for Hashem and one lot for Azazel” (וְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִים גּוֹרָלוֹת, גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַי־יָ׳ וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל). This is the joy of that accuser (דָּא אִיהוּ הַהוּא חֶדְוָה דְּהַהוּא דַּלְטוֹרָא), for Kudsha Berikh Hu casts a lot with him (בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָטִיל עִמֵּיהּ גּוֹרָל), and appoints him (וְזַמִּין לֵיהּ), and he does not know that a burning fire is cast upon his head and upon his people (וְלָא יָדַע דְּנוּר דָּלִיק אַטִּיל עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ וְעַל עַמָּא דִּילֵיהּ), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר) (Proverbs 25): “For you are heaping coals of fire upon his head” (כִּי גֶחָלִים אַתָּה חוֹתֶה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ).

And your sign is (וְסִימָנִךָ), “Even Esther the queen brought no one with the king to the banquet that she had made, except myself” (אַף לֹא הֵבִיאָה אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל הַמִּשְׁתֶּה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂתָה כִּי אִם אוֹתִי) (Esther 5). And it is written (וּכְתִיב): “And Haman went forth that day joyful and glad of heart” (וַיֵּצֵא הָמָן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שָׂמֵחַ וְטוֹב לֵב). With that portion that he took, he went his way (בְּהַהוּא חוּלָקָא דְּנָטִיל, וְאָזִיל לֵיהּ). And afterward, when the supernal King comes to the house of the Matronita (וּלְבָתַר כַּד אָתֵי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, לְבֵי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא), the Matronita petitions concerning herself, and concerning her children, and concerning her people from the King (מַטְרוֹנִיתָא תַּבְעַת עָלָהָא, וְעַל בְּנָהָא, וְעַל עַמָּא מִן מַלְכָּא).

And even in the time when Yisrael are in exile (וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא), and they offer prayers every day (וְצַלּוּ צְלוֹתִין בְּכָל יוֹמָא), she ascends on this day before the supernal King (אִיהִי סַלְקַת בְּיוֹמָא דָּא, לְקָמֵי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה), and petitions for her children (וְתַבְעַת עַל בְּנָהָא). And then are decreed all those vengeances which Kudsha Berikh Hu is destined to perform upon Edom (וּכְדֵין אִתְגְּזָרוּ, כָּל אִינּוּן נוּקְמִין, דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד עִם אֱדוֹם), and it is decreed how this accuser shall be removed from the world (וְאִתְגְּזַר הֵיךְ זַמִין דַּלְטוֹרָא דָּא לְאִתְעַבְּרָא מֵעָלְמָא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר) (Isaiah 25): “He will swallow up death forever” (בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח). And your sign is (וְסִימָנִךָ), in the time of exile (בְּזִמְנָא דְּגָלוּתָא): “For we are sold, I and my people…” (כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְגוֹ׳) (Esther 7). “For the adversary is not equal to the damage of the King” (כִּי אֵין הַצָּר שׁוֶֹה בְּנֶזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ). What is “the damage of the King”? (מַאי בְּנֶזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ). As it is said (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר) (Joshua 7): “They will cut off our name from the earth, and what will You do for Your great Name?” (וְהִכְרִיתוּ אֶת שְׁמֵנוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ וּמַה תַּעֲשֶׂה לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל).

For that supernal Name is not maintained in its existence (דְּהָא שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה, לָא אִתְקָיֵּים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ), and this is the “damage of the King” (וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּנֶזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ). And then Haman was terrified before the King and the Queen (וְכְדֵין וְהָמָן נִבְעָת מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַמַּלְכָּה), then the brightness of the countenance and all joy were found (כְּדֵין נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, וְכָל חִידוּ אִשְׁתְּכַח), and Yisrael went out to freedom on that day (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נַפְקֵי לְחִירוּ, בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא). Then, from that day and onward (כְּדֵין מֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא וּלְהָלְאָה), freedom and joy are in revelation to rule over them (חִירוּ וְחֶדְוָה בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עָלַיְיהוּ). Then it is fitting to rejoice with them (כְּדֵין בָּעֵי לְמֵחדֵי עִמְּהוֹן). From now on, just as they gave him a portion to be separated from them (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, כְּמָה דְּיָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנְהוֹן), so too they give to the other nations to be separated from them below (הָכִי נָמֵי יַהֲבִין לִשְׁאַר עַמִּין, לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנְּהוֹן לְתַתָּא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): what is the mystery of the offering—to offer a sa‘ir [he-goat]? (מָה הוּא רָזָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא, לְקָרְבָּא שָׂעִיר). To accept a sa‘ir and not another thing (לְקַבֵּל שָׂעִיר, וְלָא מִלָּה אַחֲרָא). And why is there a sa‘ir on Rosh Chodesh [New Moon], and here also a sa‘ir [he-goat]? (וַאֲמַאי שָׂעִיר בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, וְהָכָא נָמֵי שָׂעִיר). But if you say that it is because this is fitting for his side (אֶלָּא אִי תֵּימָא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דִּילֵיהּ יֵאוֹת), why is it not an ez [she-goat]? (אֲמַאי לָא הֲוִי עֵז). Rather, this matter is necessary (אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ), and it is found among the masters of sorcery (וְאִיהִי אִשְׁתְּכָחַת לְמָארֵיהוֹן דְּחָרָשִׁין), for all their practices are performed through that which is not joined with the female (דְּכָל עוֹבָדַיְיהוּ בְּמָה דְּלָא יִתְחַבַּר בְּנוּקְבָּא). And for this reason, the sa‘ir [he-goat] is not joined with the female in any of its aspects (וְעַל דָּא שָׂעִיר לָא אִתְחַבַּר בְּנוּקְבָּא, בְּסִטְרִין דִּילֵיהּ כֻּלְּהוּ). An ez [she-goat], however, is joined with the female (עֵז כַּד אִתְחַבַּר בְּנוּקְבָּא). And because he is a king (וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא), they give him, for his honor, that which is not joined with the female (יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ בְּגִין יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ, הַאי דְּלָא אִתְחַבַּר בְּנוּקְבָּא), and which does not give its strength to another (וְלָא יָהִיב חֵילֵיהּ לְאַחֲרָא). And this is known to those sorcerers who make use of these practices (וְדָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע לְאִינּוּן חָרָשִׁין, דְּמִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בְּהָנֵי עוֹבָדֵי). And because of this, all those sins are placed upon that sa‘ir [he-goat] (וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ, שַׁרְיָין עַל הַהוּא שָׂעִיר, כָּל אִינּוּן חֲטָאֵיהוֹן).